It has long been sought to provide chemotherapeutic agents useful for treating various malignant diseases. The novel maleimides of the present invention are protein kinase C inhibitors useful as chemotherapeutic agents. Other maleimides/substituted pyrroles/protein kinase C inhibitors have been described in the literature as having various activities, such as the treatment of inflammatory, immunological, bronchopulmonary, cadiovascular, malignant, and allergic disorders. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,614; EPO 0-328-026-A1, 0-384-349-A1; and PCT WO 91/13070 and 91/13071. See also, e.g., the following publications of Davis, et al.: Febs Letters, Vol. 259, No. 1, 61-63 (1989); Tetrahedron Letters, Vol. 31, No. 16, 2353-2356 (1990); Tetrahedron Letters, Vol. 31, No. 36, 5201-5204 (1990); and J. Med. Chem., Vol. 35, 177-184 (1992); and Bit, et al., J. Med. Chem., Vol. 36, 21-29 (1993).